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NEX Process Technologies

Outstanding process technologies for licensing

Your plant project is an important investment, so you want the most reliable and efficient process technology available. With us, you have access to outstanding proven solutions and over 60 years of international experience in industrial process development and plant investment projects in oil refining, petrochemicals, chemicals and bio refining processes. We are perfectly positioned to help you improve your business with our portfolio of licensed technologies and process engineering expertise.

We have the in-depth knowledge and experience to design and develop a wide range of process technologies, with notable leading commercial references within processing of clean and renewable fuels, fine chemicals, polyolefins and tall oil products. Depending on your need we can offer solutions with solid technology background or collaborate with a research team to develop and commercialise your novel technology.

Solutions

Hydroprocessing Applications

NEXSAT

Fuel and solvent manufacturers can now meet current and future olefin and aromatic strict saturation standards with a high availability process at low cost. Neste Engineering Solutions NEXSAT is the optimum process for hydroprocessing of low-sulphur feedstock in mild operating conditions, followed by product property fine-tuning in a stabilization or fractionation section for the ultimate quality gain. Typical products are low aromatic fuels, aromatic free solvents and highly saturated fine hydrocarbon chemicals.

Our flexible NEXSAT process can be used for saturation of wide range of olefinic feedstocks or de-aromatization of middle distillates and naphtha, in a design optimized for single or multiple feedstocks. Capital outlay is kept to a minimum, commonly with no need of a dedicated fired heater nor recycle compressor, yet retaining excellent operational availability and low maintenance requirements. Add to that the low cost of catalyst, excellent reactor performance and its high-quality output, and you are sure to consider it a wise investment.

NEXSELECT

Reliable processing with high availability is of greatest importance for producers of petrochemicals. Light cracked naphtha always contains diolefins that form gums and cause equipment fouling and product degradation amongst others in etherification units. Neste Engineering Solutions NEXSELECT process removes this problem by selective hydrogenation. Mild temperature eliminates the formation of paraffins, improving the overall yield in these downstream units.

The result is a clean and trouble-free flow throughout your process and better quality in your final product. Investment is minimal because NEXSELECT operates in liquid phase and doesn’t need hydrogen recycle compressor. It is easily integrated into the NEXTAME and NEXETHERS units without more degasification equipment. Low cost for high return is always a wise business choice.

Clean Fuel Components

NEXOCTANE

Our NEXOCTANE process is ideal when you want to produce non-aromatic hydrocarbons with premium octane values. Dimerization of isobutylene in adiabatic reactors produces isooctene, which you can further saturate to isooctane with our novel NExSAT process. You control product quality through careful maintenance of optimum reactor conditions by recirculating alcohol to keep a low proportion of oligomers. After further treatment, you can use the C4 raffinate in an alkylation unit or dehydrogenation plant.

If you want to make the move to clean fuel production without ethers, this technology saves you money. You can have the NEXOCTANE process installed as a low-cost retrofit of your existing MTBE or ETBE facilities, or as part of a grass-roots plant. The design is always solid, with excellent availability due to long catalyst age and ease of operation. Suitable for a wide range of olefinic C4-feedstocks, the technology provides a high-grade output with a great blending flexibility. Low RVP, superb octane values and low or non-existent sulfur content will easily meet environmental demands while simultaneously increasing your profits.

NEXETHERS for combined ethers production

With specifications changing and costs rising, gasoline producers want the optimal solution for processing C4-C7 streams to their highest value. In Neste Engineering Solutions NEXETHERS process iso-olefins and alcohol react to ethers in the presence of a conventional ion exchange resin catalyst. The first fractionator separates heavy hydrocarbons and ether products from the remaining C4 stream. The second fractionator integrates alcohol recovery and oxygenate removal, giving you almost total feed isobutene and alcohol conversion.

At every stage of this process, you save money. An optimized single unit covers a range of input streams. Capital expenses are low, as no additional equipment is needed for processing the alcohol recycle stream. Your production targets can be maintained, since NEXETHERS uses equipment with trouble-free maintenance, and you don’t even need to shut it down during catalyst change. With the freedom to vary the olefinic input anywhere from C4 to C7 and to choose between methanol and ethanol feed, you have maximum flexibility with high yields at a low cost with any of the feed combinations.

Your production targets can be maintained, since the process uses equipment that requires little maintenance, and you don’t even need to shut it down during catalyst change. With the freedom to choose between methanol and ethanol feeds, or, if needed, later convert to isooctene production, you have maximum flexibility with excellent MTBE and ETBE yields at a low cost.

NEXTAME and NEXTAEE

To improve the profitability of your cracked naphtha stream, add our NEXTAME or NEXTAEE processes to your oil refinery or downstream of your steam cracker. The feedstock can be any stream containing C5 to C7 tertiary olefins. Both methanol and ethanol can be used in the same process configuration. The trick is to use naturally-occurring azeotropes to concentrate alcohol and unreacted hydrocarbon reactants in a column side draw. All formed fuel ethers and inert gasoline-grade hydrocarbons concentrate at the bottom. As they contain only a trace of alcohol, they can be blended together in the gasoline pool without further treatment

Flexibility of input and a wider range of output allow your facility to cope with changing market demand. For example, NEXTAEE is a low-cost way to produce biofuels in an oil refinery from FCC cracked naphtha, while at the same time improving the overall quality of these feedstocks. Solid design practices, optimized process conditions and low-maintenance equipment reduce both operating and investment costs. With these proven technologies, you can trust that impressive financial returns will appear quickly.

Synthetic Base Oil

NEXPAO

As customers and regulations become more demanding, finding the right way to produce premium base oils can be challenging. Neste Engineering Solutions NEXPAO proprietary process will give you low-viscosity PAOs from 1-decene feed. With the use of our unique catalyst system highly selective oligomerization reactions provide you with an output that, after saturation and fractionation, gives your final products excellent low and high temperature properties. This is a commercially fully proven technology for production of top-quality synthetic base oils.

Our NEXPAO process produces Group IV polyalphaolefins (PAO) 2, 4, 6, and 8 for use in motor oils, transmission fluids, cosmetics, food, and much more. The product has an ultra-high viscosity index with simultaneous outstanding low-temperature properties, is sulfur free and has superior stability which makes it safe to store and transport. Energy efficiency, conventional catalysts, limited hydrogen use, and easy maintenance keep your costs low. You can save money on production while expanding your market in new directions.

Tall Oil Bioproducts

NEXPINUS

Crude tall oil (CTO), a side product from chemical pine pulping, is one answer to the growing demand for renewables. Using our innovative on purpose technology comprising of integrated drying, depitching and distillation solutions will help you fully utilize this feedstock. TheNEXPINUS process has maximum separation efficiency and produces a wide range of high-quality crude tall oil grades that can be adjusted for further processing and their final use in end products such as soaps, alkydresins, adhesives, ink solvents and fuels.

Our design is based on accurate modelling of undesired chemical reactions and flow patterns, thereby predicting correctly the yield and purity of your output. Reliable modelling, proven engineering solutions and built-in feedstock flexibility guarantees that your plant functions as designed and anticipates superior quality products, high availability and easy operability. With your trustworthy production facility in operation, you can focus on developing your customer base and research into new sources and uses for tall oil.

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